To Be With You
by katdvs
Summary: Maya and Zay are both starting college at NYU without their friends who have all gone off to schools across the country. They will bond and fall in love with each other, not knowing how to process everything. Companion piece to Wedding Weekend.
1. Chapter One: When I Look Into Your Eyes

_Author Note: This is a companion piece to the Rucas fic Wedding Weekend._

 _Song used: When I Look Into Your Eyes-Firehouse_

 **To Be With You**

Chapter One: _When I Look Into Your Eyes_

Maya Hart had no idea how she was ever going to arrange her side of the room. Her roommate had already seemed to claim most of the free space. It wasn't even that Maya had that much, but what she did have seemed to have no place to go.

"Hart! I can't believe I found you." The voice was a surprising comfort as Maya turned to her opened door and saw one of her friends.

"Zay, tell me you live in this building." She pleaded suddenly dreading the world around her, how was she going to survive without her best friend Riley, without Farkle, hell even without Lucas.

He pulled her into a hug, "I'm two floors up. What's going on in here?"

"My roommate took every available space it seems. I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of my stuff." She looked at the boxes that were piled on her bed.

Zay took it in, "I'll be back in twenty minutes, maybe thirty. I have an idea; I think I know what we can do."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just hold on I gotta grab a few things." He shot her a smile as he left into the hall filled with people.

Maya sighed; at least she could get her clothes put away in her closet while Zay was off doing whatever.

When he returned about twenty minutes later he had four large cinder blocks with him that he pulled on a hand-truck. "I had some extra. I thought we could raise your bed a little, maybe give you more space under it for storage."

"Zay that's great, but how am I going to get in bed?" She waved a hand down her body to remind him she was short.

"We'll go and get you a stepstool. Don't worry about it Sugar."

They raised the bed, and found that it gave her just enough storage for now. "Come on, let's go for a walk. I think you need some air." Zay led Maya out of the room, watching her lock the door before they went to the elevator.

"I'm so glad you'll be around." Maya confessed, "I think I would be really lost without you tonight."

"Hey we're friends; that's what we're for." Zay could see the sadness in her blue eyes, "Talk to Riley yet?"

"Yeah, she loves it. Have you checked her Instagram, mountains everywhere, or black and gold." The elevator dinged and a few people got off before they boarded, "You talk to Huckleberry yet?"

"Yeah, he's settling in, missing Riley like crazy, but he said he's going to pledge a Frat, that should help him stay busy or something." Zay shrugged as they rode down to the lobby.

"They're going to end up the first ones married out of our group of friends. They'll be disgustingly cute, move to Texas and raise bunnies." Maya half-joked as they entered the lobby of their building.

Zay led her out to the city streets, ever since moving to New York from Texas he had learned to love a good walk at night around the city. It might not be the same as a good walk around a ranch at night, but it was good still the same. "You hear from Farkle yet?"

"Not yet, we have a skype date tomorrow though." Maya breathed in the city air. "So what's your roommate like?"

"His name is Dave and he likes corn chips." Zay laughed, "That's who I got in the lottery, can you believe it?"

"Dave is your roommate, you're shitting me." Maya laughed, "Gosh, I've got some girl from Georgia; she's barely said two words to me. I think her name is Kelsey."

"Maybe she likes Corn Chips." Zay started walking backwards, when was the last time it had been just him and Maya, had it ever been just them. "This is nice."

Maya felt herself smile, "It really is, I don't think it's been just us since, Prom Night, Farkle and Smackle ran off somewhere and I don't know what happened to Riley and Lucas that night."

"Thank you by the way; you were a great Prom date, both years." She stopped talking, stopped walking.

Zay turned around, there was the problem, he was always the problem for Maya. Josh Matthews, Riley's Uncle and Maya's lifelong crush.

"Maya, Zay, you guys settling in?" Josh asked as he balanced some grocery bags in his arms.

"Yeah, great." Maya grabbed Zay's hand, her fingers lacing with his.

Josh nodded, "Great, I'll see you guys around. Bye."

Maya felt her heart crush as Josh walked away; he still didn't see her as anything more than Riley's best friend did he? She dropped Zay's hand, she didn't know what she'd been doing, maybe sending Josh a signal to be jealous, but it didn't work.

"One day that man is going to wake up and realize he missed out on the best person in the world, you." Zay put his arm around her and led her down the street, "We're in New York City, it's the greatest city in the world. What's something that you've always wanted to do, but never have?"

Her trademark wicked smile crossed her lips as she took his hand, "Come with me."

Zay followed her; he would follow her anywhere if he was honest. For years he'd had a crush on Maya, and it just got deeper each day. Yet she was hung up on that idiot Josh, who would never realize what he could have.

Maya led him down a few streets, he almost got lost before they stood in front of what looked to be an abandoned building. "Riley and Farkle always told me this place was trouble, but I've been dying to check it out for years."

"What is it?"

Maya opened the door and went inside.

Zay followed, he could hear music blasting from somewhere deep inside.

A bouncer nodded them in, not checking IDs.

"Let's dance!" Maya called out and pulled him onto the floor.

It was a cover band for 80s hairbands, at least that's what Zay thought they were called. They danced to the high energy numbers, and when a slow song came on.

 _I see forever when I look in your eyes_

 _You're all I've ever wanted_

 _I always want you to be mine_

 _Let's make a promise to the end of time_

 _We'll always be together_

 _And our love will never die_

Maya wrapped her arms around Zay's neck as his arms went around her waist. She was glad to have him in New York with her, realizing she might not have been able to do this alone. She'd had Riley with her for as far back as she could remember.

 _So here we are face to face and heart to heart_

 _I want you to know we will never be apart_

 _Now I believe that wishes can come true_

 _'Cause when I see my whole world_

 _I see only you_

It killed Zay that she couldn't see how special she was, that she was setting herself up for the ultimate heartbreak. How could anyone give up the chance to get lost in her blue eyes. If given the chance Zay knew he would take it.

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I can see how much I love you_

 _And it makes me realize_

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I see all my dreams come true_

 _When I look into your eyes_

Maya wasn't sure what it was that made her rest her head on his chest, but she breathed in a scent that was comforting and exhilarating all at the same time. She didn't understand it, but she felt safe in this moment, hopeful.

 _I've looked for you all of my life_

 _Now that I've found you_

 _We will never say good-bye_

 _Can't stop this feelin'_

 _And there's nothing I can do_

 _'Cause I see everything_

 _When I look at you_

Zay pulled her in closer, noticing she'd closed her eyes. His heartbeat was racing, sure she was thinking about Josh. What he wouldn't give for her to think of him as more than a friend. That's what she wanted them to be though; she would never see him as something more.

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I can see how much I love you_

 _And it makes me realize_

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I see all my dreams come true_

 _When I look into your eyes_

"Let's make a pact Zay." Maya opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"What kind of pact?"

"That we're here for each other this year, as long as we're both here in New York. You need a shoulder to cry on over a girl, or I need to vent about my roommate. We're there for each other."

Zay smiled, "We can do that Sugar."

"Great, I know I come off as a badass, but sometimes I think it only seems that way in contrast to Riley."

"Well, this is a new start. You get to be Maya Hart, not Maya and Riley."

She frowned, "I'm not sure who Maya Hart is."

"That's what college is for, discovery. You'll figure out who Maya is, I'll figure out who Zay is, and we'll be here for each other." He smirked, "If you're extra nice, I bet we could bring Dave into our new little group."

"Oh hush." She playfully slapped his arm.

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I can see how much I love you_

 _And it makes me realize_

 _When I look into your eyes_

 _I see all my dreams come true_

 _When I look into your eyes_

* * *

Maya stared at her computer screen, trying to comprehend the update she was seeing from her best friend Riley. The door of her room opened, and she knew it was Zay, it had to be him.

It was, he held his cellphone in his hand, "She sent the promise ring back to him."

Maya finally looked away from the screen, "What? What did he do?"

"He doesn't know. I kind of believe him." Zay sat at her desk chair, "They were solid right, we didn't all imagine that, did we?"

"She changed their relationship status; you don't think Riley met someone else?" Maya shook her head, "No, she's been crazy about Lucas since I pushed her into his lap on the subway."

At the same time Maya's laptop and Zay's phone rang with a video call from Farkle. Maya pulled it up on her screen, "Hey, we're both here."

"What is going on?" Farkle asked from his dorm room at MIT.

"All we know is Riley sent him the promise ring back. He's a mess." Zay explained, he hadn't even told Maya that part yet, "He was getting ready to drive up and see her since she hasn't talked to him for a few days. She's been ignoring her."

"She's not answering my texts." Maya released a frustrated grunt, "This has to be a hiccup right? I mean Rucas can't be over, if Rucas can't survive, what hope do any of us have?"

Farkle rubbed his eyes, "This has to be a misunderstanding, I'm sure Riley, when she's calmed down will tell us what upset her, and she and Lucas can figure this out."

Maya scrolled through Lucas' Facebook page looking to see if any girls had left him a message that might have upset Riley. "The only people posting on Ranger Rick's page are frat guys. Blech."

"I haven't seen anything that weird on eithers page." Farkle sighed, "I have to go to a lecture, text me if you find out anything. Bye guys."

Maya closed her laptop and picked up her phone. "Finally, she texted me."

 **Lucas knows what he did.**

Zay shook his head, "They're in different states and still exhausting."

Maya picked up her phone, waiting for the voicemail to pick up, "Huckleberry, what did you do, it had to be something bad to make Riley send the promise ring back. Call me."

Zay and Maya were silent for a long time.

"Zay, what if they don't get back together?"

"They will, let them calm down; maybe Lucas will realize he said something that she took the wrong way, or something. Christmas, they'll both be back then, I'm sure this will all be cleared up by then."

"I hope so, I really do." Her stomach twisted in knots, how could this be happening? How could her best friend not tell her what happened, was it really that bad?

* * *

"This is all going to be cleared up in a few hours." Farkle tried to convince himself as he sat in his bedroom with Maya and Zay, watching a movie. Waiting for Lucas to arrive, Riley had turned down the invitation to hang out with them tonight.

"I hope so. Every time I mention him she just starts crying and says he knows what he did." Maya rolled her eyes, "I don't know how to even handle her like this."

"And every time I ask Lucas, he has no clue. He said everything was normal, they had a video chat and everything was cool. Then next thing he knew she was ignoring him, and he got the ring back." Zay shook his head.

"They'll talk, Lucas said he was going to try and talk to her tonight. Maybe they'll clear the air, reunite and the rest of us can believe in love again." Farkle's leg bounced nervously.

The door opened, Lucas came in alone, sat in one of the chairs, "I couldn't do it. I climbed the fire escape and I went to knock on the window, but I saw her sitting in the middle of her bed crying."

"She didn't have the box of pictures, did she?" Maya crinkled her eyes.

Lucas nodded, "She looks so upset, I know I'm supposed to know what I did, but you guys, I swear I didn't do anything. I would never do anything to break her heart."

"Maybe she just needs a little more time." Zay suggested, though he really had no words of wisdom for his friend.

"Cory and Topanga will get through to her, I'm sure in a few days she'll call you, it'll be okay." Maya could only hope that they would get through to Riley because so far, no one else had.

* * *

Maya had a plan, tonight was the night. Josh Matthews was finally going to see what he'd been missing all this time. She styled her hair, put on her hottest outfit, and shoved a bottle of wine into her purse.

She was going to surprise him. He wouldn't be able to see him as just Riley's best friend after tonight. She double checked her purse that she had the condoms she'd gotten at the health center. Her hands were shaking as she pressed the elevator button.

Her body vibrated with nerves. She and Josh had been talking since Christmas, they kept running into each other everywhere, tonight she was going to finally show Josh that she was the girl for him.

She walked quickly through the streets of New York before arriving at his building, the security box long broken as she went up the three flights of steps before knocking on his door.

"Hi, can I help you?" A redheaded girl answered the door wearing one of Josh's shirts, Maya knew it was his because she helped Riley pick it out for him.

"Is Josh here?" Her voice unsteady and then half a moment later the door opened further, and she saw him in a pair of jeans, no shirt.

"Maya, what are you doing here?"

"I thought; who is she Josh?"

The redhead glared at Maya.

"This Charlotte my girlfriend. Char, this is my niece's best friend Maya."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Nice to meet you."

"Girlfriend?" Maya repeated before backing away and racing down the stairs.

Josh came after her, "Maya, what are you doing here?"

"I thought," She just stared at him, "I thought you finally saw me as more then Riley's best friend. You're never going to see me as anything else are you?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I will."

Maya could feel the tears burning in her eyes, the way her heart felt like it was falling apart, she thought of what Zay had said to her months ago. "One day Josh, you are going to wake up and realize that I would've been the best thing to ever happen to you. That I was the best person in the world for you and you blew it because you refused to see me as something more than Riley's friend. Goodbye."

Josh was shocked, not knowing what he could or should say as Maya stormed down the stairs. He took him a minute before he returned to his apartment and angry girlfriend.

Maya felt the tears release once she was in the bitter New York cold. She wanted to scream, she wanted to hit something, she wanted to hit someone. She leaned against the brick wall of a building and pulled her phone out.

"He has a girlfriend." Were the first words she said as soon as the call picked up, "Meet me in my room in fifteen?"

She threw her phone back in her purse and made her way back to her dorm. Zay was waiting outside her room, wrapping her up in a hug as she cried.

"One day he'll realize you were the best person for him and he missed his chance." He tried to sooth her and she started to laugh, "What?"

"That's pretty much what I told him when I left." Maya unlocked her door, letting herself and Zay in. "God I feel like such an idiot. He never mentioned a girlfriend Zay, and here she was in his shirt—nothing else. I know it's his shirt, I picked it out for Riley to give to him."

Zay sat her down on the bed, listening as she rambled on and he got a washcloth, running it under the cool tap water and squeezing it of the excess water. "Here put this one your face for a minute, it'll help you calm down."

Maya did as instructed, and found herself starting to relax. She pulled the washcloth off, "I really thought once I was in college he would have to see me as me."

"He's an idiot if he can't see how amazing, beautiful, spectacular you are. If he can only see you as Riley's best friend, then he's a moron." Zay sat next to her taking the washcloth from her, and wiping up some of her running makeup.

"Why do I always go for unattainable guys Zay?" She sighed, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I mean the Lucas thing, you didn't really chase him. Riley kind of forced that with that stupid brother thing, which actually you started. As for Josh, you've wanted him for so long; you had to make a real move. But now you know, you can move on, as for why you go for these guys, maybe it's because you expect to get hurt, so you go after guys who have already given their hearts away, so you can expect the hurt."

Maya sat up, looking at Zay, she didn't say anything she just kissed him. She didn't know why, she didn't care why. All she knew was at this moment it felt right, it felt nice, it felt exactly the way she wanted to feel.

Zay kissed her back, his fingers tangling in her hair as she pushed him back on the bed.

Neither spoke, their hands gliding over each other's clothed bodies for the first twenty or so minutes before clothing was shed and the next thing they knew they had slept together; both losing their virginities, but neither telling the other.

They fell asleep, and Zay dressed early in the morning, leaving Maya a note on her desk.

 _ **Josh is an idiot, you are amazing. Any guy would be lucky to have you.  
** **Still on for the new Channing Tatum movie tonight?**_

Maya didn't know what was supposed to happen after this. Her first instinct was to call Riley, but something stopped her. She didn't know how to tell her best friend, that she'd lost her virginity. Wasn't this the kind of thing you shared with your best friend?

Zay knew that Maya didn't have feelings for him; he didn't want to push things with her. So he would just continue to let things be the way they had been for months, movie's together, dinner in the cafeteria, studying, whatever.

Maybe one day Maya would see him as more than a friend. Or maybe Zay would eventually get over this crush he had on the blond beauty.

* * *

The school year was almost over; Maya couldn't believe that she and Zay had never talked about what happened. It was almost as surprising as the fact that she hadn't talked to Riley about it. She thought maybe they could discuss it during Spring Break, but her friend had taken a trip with her new sorority sisters, and now she wasn't even coming home for the summer. Instead she would be off in Washington DC for an internship in her Uncle Eric's office.

Maya had gotten lucky and found a job at a Gallery in SoHo, she was moving back in with her Mom and Shawn for the summer, hoping to save money before she moved into her own studio apartment in the fall.

Zay and she still hung out all the time; it was almost as what had happened on Valentine's night didn't matter. She wished she could tell him that it was her first time, and she was happy it was with him, someone she trusted and cared about. It might not have been the perfect situation, but it felt right.

At least Zay would still in the city for the summer, working a crappy mail room job at a new start up blog called NYCBuzz, he hadn't been able to find a dance internship, but he found this one for his writing minor. If she couldn't have Riley around, she was happy to have Zay, Farkle, and even Lucas who was due back from Texas in a few days.

* * *

Zay sat on his fire escape, haunted by memories of his night with Maya. Why hadn't they talked about it, why hadn't she brought it up? Had it been awful, did she want to pretend it never happened? Wasn't that what they were doing?

In a few hours they would be reunited with Farkle and Lucas, he couldn't help but wonder how different the dynamic would be now, especially without Riley for the summer.

He wasn't sure what surprised him more, that Riley and Lucas still hadn't spoken, or that while he and Maya had grown closer, they couldn't talk about the night that really bonded them.

The sun was setting, the orange glow peaking behind the tall buildings. Sometimes at sunset he missed Texas, and other nights like this he could be lost in how breathtaking the city was in the right light.

He snapped a picture of the view before tweeting it to Maya.

 **IZayBay  
** I hope this inspires you. MayaPHartArt


	2. Chapter Two: When I'm With You

_Author Note: Yay, the second chapter! Thank you all for the reviews, follows and all that jazz. You guys are all amazing._

 **To Be With You**

Chapter Two: _When I'm With You_

Maya looked at the painting again, admiring her work before wrapping it up in the brown paper. Her stomach was twisted with butterflies and she didn't really understand why. She felt an urge to check her hair and make-up make sure she looked okay. "Chill Hart, you're just going to go see Zay."

She adjusted her tunic top and grabbed her purse and the wrapped painting. He wasn't expecting her, she was just dropping by, but she couldn't wait to give this to him.

Racing through the streets to his apartment he shared with his older brother, and another friend she could feel the knot in her stomach tighten. She rode up in the elevator feeling her legs shake with nerves.

Why was she so nervous?

As she went down the hall she counted to ten before she knocked on the door and waited for an answer, one of them had to be home right?

A young woman answered the door, tan skin, sun bleached hair, gray eyes, "Hi, can I help you?"

"Is Zay home?" Who the hell was this girl?

"Honey, it's for you!"

Honey?

The knot in her stomach just doubled.

"Maya! What are you doing here, did we have plans?" His arm was around this girls waist, oh God this was worse than seeing Josh with a girlfriend. Why?

"Oh, um, no" She ran her hand through her hair, "I um, I've been working on something since this summer, and I wanted you to have it."

He took the package, "Maya, that's really sweet. Oh this is Jackie, my girlfriend. Jackie, this is Maya, my best friend."

Oh God that hurt, that hurt a lot.

Why did it hurt so much?

"Oh really, I thought you were kidding about being best friends with a girl." Jackie's voice was catty.

"Well, I'm one of many best friends really." Maya tried to smile, but it was forced and fake, "Um, you can open that without me around. I just wanted you to know that I was inspired."

Zay hugged her, "Thanks Sugar."

Jackie's eyes grew wide at the use of the nickname. "Zay, sweetie we need to get ready."

"I'll see you later, call me and we'll have a catch up at Topanga's."

"That awful bakery, really?"

Zay and Maya both looked at Jackie confused, they loved the bakery. Not just because Riley's family owned it, or that Maya's mother worked there, it was their touchstone.

"Yeah, it's a high school thing." Maya adjusted her purse. "I'll see you around Zay."

"See ya Maya!" He called out as she walked down towards the elevator bank, his heart felt tight, he couldn't place what had just happened.

* * *

Maya's eyes burned with tears, she didn't know why she was so hurt. Maybe it just reminded her too much of the moment she last saw Josh Matthews, how heartbroken she'd been and how she'd sought comfort in Zay. Her first time had been with Zay, her only time had been with Zay.

She tried to dart around the people on the streets but as she tried to move past one, she ran straight into another.

She could feel his hands on her shoulders, "Maya, what's wrong?"

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

"Nothing is wrong Josh." Maya tried to wipe her eyes, "I just found out something I wasn't expecting to find out."

"I've been hoping to run into you." He confessed.

"You have?"

"I'm sorry about Valentine's Day, I had no idea you were going to come over."

"That was kind of the idea." Maya tried to look away from him, "I hope you're happy with her."

"I'm not with her anymore Maya." Josh called out to her as she tried to walk away.

Maya cursed herself for stopping, "Why?"

"Turns out Charlotte was a raging bitch." Josh took a step towards her, "I was with her so that I would forget about someone else."

He wasn't really doing this right now, was he? Maya wasn't sure she could take it if this was really happening. "Who were you trying to forget about?"

He wiped the last tear on her cheek away with his thumb before leaning down, "You."

His lips were soft and hungry.

Maya felt the jolt of electricity that she had always known existed between them.

She pulled away, "Is this real?"

Josh smiled down at her, "Tell me what to do and I'll prove just how real this is."

Not far up the block Zay had just witnessed the kiss and couldn't help but feel a piece of his heart break off.

* * *

"Hey Farkle, pass the popcorn." Maya was in his room, it was the day after Christmas and they were waiting for Zay and Lucas to arrive.

"Something is different with you, what is it?" He handed her the bowl.

She shrugged, "I don't know, I'm happy, I guess."

"Who is he?"

Maya bit her lip, "Farkle, if I tell you, you can never in a million years tell anyone."

While he hated keeping secrets he agreed, "Okay, so who is it?"

"Josh."

"Riley's Uncle Josh?" Farkle was surprised.

Maya nodded, "I ran into him a few weeks ago, we're keeping things between us right now, seeing how it goes."

"Does Zay know?" Farkle was aware of how close they had gotten, he even thought perhaps they might make a love connection, but he guessed not.

"No, besides it's not like he told me when he got a new girlfriend."

Farkle noted the bitter and jealous coating of her tone, "He has a girlfriend?"

"Oh God, you should've seen her Farkle, she was like out of a fashion magazine. It was awful, I was standing there with this painting I did for him and face to face with a girlfriend he never told me about."

Farkle nodded, "That sounds awful."

"Hey guys." The door opened and the two Texans came in.

"Lucas!" Maya jumped up to hug him. "So, tell us all about Texas."

"Texas is good; I'm very busy with school, the Frat."

"Still being the master of Tombstone by staying on for a full five seconds." Zay boasted of his friend.

"Yeah that." Lucas was a little embarrassed by that. He looked around, "Is Riley coming?"

"No, she's hanging out with Kevin."

The jealous tension was obvious on Lucas, "Kevin, her boyfriend?"

"Jealous?" Zay sat down next to Maya, reaching into the popcorn on her lap.

"Don't worry, they're just friends. They were both interns for her Uncle last summer. It's _nothing_ I promise I met him on Christmas Eve." Maya explained.

"Oh, okay." Lucas sat down, holding his jacket in his lap.

"Why don't you just go over and talk to her?" Zay threw popcorn at his friend, "You want to, she wants you to, and we want you to. Just do it and get it over with."

Lucas ran a hand over his short blonde hair, "I can't, I just can't."

"Whatever man" Zay turned to Maya, "Thank you for the painting, it's amazing. I hung it up in my room above my bed."

"I'm sure, Jackie just loves that."

"She doesn't have many close friends, she wouldn't understand our relationship." He tried to justify it, part of him had thought Maya was jealous the moment she met Jackie, but minutes later she was kissing Josh. "So, you and Josh Matthews, what's going on there?"

"Did you text them the second I told you?" Maya glared to Farkle.

"No, I swear!" He held his hands up as if that would prove he was innocent.

Maya leaned back on the couch, "How do you know about that?"

Zay looked away from her, "I um, I saw you guys kissing a few weeks ago."

"Oh." Maya had a feeling she knew when that was, when she'd run away from his building crying. She could only laugh to herself about it, Josh's girlfriend had thrown her into Zay's arms, and then his had thrown her to Josh.

"Are you guys dating?" Lucas wondered, feeling beyond out of the loop.

"We're figuring things out. I don't know what will happen." She looked around at her friends, wishing Riley was here, but knowing she couldn't handle that extra tension, "Can we just watch the movie?"

* * *

Zay could hear her music all the way from the elevator. He couldn't help but smile; even though that was the one thing he didn't want to do.

He pounded on the door, hoping she could hear him knocking. He pounded his fist harder and then the door slid open.

"Zay, what are you doing here?" She paused the music and studied her friend.

"I didn't know where else to go." He walked into her apartment; it was small, just her and her paints.

Maya studied him, "What happened?"

"Jackie, she broke up with me." He sat on her futon. "She had this whole speech about how I wasn't giving her enough, how I wasn't doting on her. I don't know what she wanted from me. She even went on a ten minute tangent about your painting being above my bed."

"Oh, that's awful Zay." Maya went to her fridge and took out a bottle of Vodka she had stashed in the freezer. "This might not be the smartest solution but it'll numb the pain."

Zay watched as she poured two shots and handed him one. "To broken hearts!" She declared.

"Don't tell me things with Josh didn't work." He asked after feeling the burn of the clear alcohol on his throat.

Maya shrugged, "Let's just say that things with Charlotte were not as over as I was led to believe when I ran into them at the bakery and she had a flashy diamond on her finger."

"That dog! I'll go take care of him for you." He rose from the futon only to have Maya pull him down.

"You don't have Lucas to cover you, and he's not worth it." She poured two more shots, "Besides, Josh is out of my system now I know what a dog he is, and maybe now I could move on. Like what you need to do with Jackie, any girl that gets jealous over a painting isn't worth your heart."

"Thanks Maya." They took the second round of shots as they looked in each other's eyes.

"Anytime buddy." She wasn't sure what made her do it, if it was the Vodka or the lingering knot he created in her stomach, or just a desire to prove she was over Josh.

Zay felt her lips on his, the peach lip glass flavoring the kiss, he deepened it. This was what had been missing from his life, this is what he wanted.

Maya worked to unbutton his shirt, and before she knew it their clothes were gone and they were in the throes of passion, calling the others name.

They moved into the shower, together, slowly exploring the other, never having expected such passion to burst between them again.

In the morning he was gone, but he'd gone and picked up her favorite muffin and coffee from Topanga's, leaving them for her.

Maya smiled, the knot in her stomach was gone.

* * *

"Wait, where are you going for Spring Break?" Maya asked as she spoke to her best friend, leaving the phone on speaker as she paced around her bathroom.

"Tahoe, why?" Riley's voice echoed slightly against the tile.

Maya paused forgetting her own problem at the moment, "Oh I think someone else I know mentioned going there for their spring break."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I forget who." Maya hadn't forgotten, she wasn't going to tell Riley about Lucas.

"Are you okay, you sound worried?"

Maya was silent for a moment as she picked up the stick that had been sitting on her counter, "I'm great Riles, everything is fine." She tossed the negative pregnancy test into the trash can. "So tell me about this baking thing."

* * *

Zay had given up, Maya hadn't texted or called him back in the weeks since they'd slept together again. He thought she felt the same way, but as far as he could tell now, he was just a way to make her forget about the pain of Josh.

He sipped his vodka and soda as he walked around the gallery; he was trying to get extra credit for his art history class.

"You know, I didn't think this was your scene."

He relaxed just hearing her voice turning to her, "Well, maybe if you called me back you would've known."

"Fair point" She took a sip of her white wine, "I'm sorry, I got busy working on some stuff."

"I understand, really I do." He lied.

"You hear where Riley is going to Spring Break?"

"Tahoe, right?"

Maya nodded as the moved to look at the next piece, "Same week Lucas is there."

Zay chuckled, "Fate is a wicked mistress."

"Only if they actually come face to face" Maya tilted her head to the left as she studied the painting. One day she would have a show in this gallery and it would feature better pieces then what she was seeing tonight.

"I'm sorry." Zay turned to her.

"For what?" She took a sip of her wine to distract herself from giving any reaction away.

"For not telling you about Jackie when it started, for leaving without saying Goodbye the last time we saw each other." He was getting lost in her blue eyes, kicking himself for not pursuing her the way she deserved to be.

"It's okay; I didn't tell you about Josh." She tried to stand up straight, "Let's get out of here."

"I would like that." They tossed their empty cups in the trash and went out into the city night, greeted with the warm spring air that promised a summer heatwave would arrive soon.

They walked around the streets, talking, joking, reconnecting until they arrived at Zay's building when he invited her up for a drink.

They sat in his bedroom, on the bed enjoying the cheap wine when Zay made his move, kissing her softly, tentatively so not to scare her away.

She returned the kiss, deepening it.

"Condom?" She asked as they were shedding their clothes.

He reached in the drawer pulling one out.

"Good." She smiled before kissing him again.

* * *

As the last few weeks of the semester went on, whenever Maya and Zay were alone, things led them to the bedroom. They refused to talk about it; they refused to name what was going on. But as soon as their friends returned for the summer, it ended, just as it started, without a word.


End file.
